What Form of Iron Is in Cereals?

by Melodie Anne Coffman

You'll get some iron from breakfast cereal, but it shouldn't be your only source.

Many types of cereals, from cold to hot, are fortified with several nutrients, including iron. Although you’ll be able to meet some of your iron needs from your favorite bowl of cereal, it’s not the easiest type of iron for your body to utilize. Making a few changes to your typical breakfast routine can improve your body's ability to absorb the iron you’ll get from cereal.

Amount of Iron

The amount of iron you need depends on your gender. Adult men need 8 milligrams per day, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Women require 18 milligrams daily until age 50 when it decreases to 8 milligrams per day. During pregnancy you’ll need 27 milligrams every day, which drops to 9 milligrams daily while nursing. Some cold breakfast cereals are fortified with as much as 18 milligrams of iron per serving, which is 100 percent of the daily value for non-pregnant women. Breakfast cereals that have 25 percent of the daily value offer 4.5 milligrams of iron in a serving. If hot cereal is more your style, you’ll wind up with 11 milligrams of iron from one packet of instant oatmeal. Even though some cereals may offer up to 100 percent of the daily value, it doesn’t mean that your body absorbs it all.

Form of Iron

Iron-rich foods have either heme or nonheme iron. Heme iron is highly absorbable and comes from meat, eggs, dairy, fish, shellfish and poultry. Nonheme iron comes from plant foods, fortified foods, like cereal, and many supplements. This type of iron isn’t as easy for your body to absorb. Fifteen to 35 percent of the heme iron you get from animal foods is absorbed versus the 2 to 20 percent of iron your body absorbs from nonheme sources, the Office of Dietary Supplements reports.

Improving Absorption

Other components of your meal can enhance your body's ability to absorb iron. Vitamin C greatly improves nonheme iron absorption, so pile vitamin C-rich banana slices or fresh berries on top of your cereal to aid in iron absorption. Consuming a heme iron source with your cereal can also up the amount of nonheme iron you absorb. Enjoy a slice of turkey bacon or a scrambled egg alongside your bowl of cereal.

Other Considerations

Several food components can block the absorption of the nonheme iron you get from cereal. Polyphenols and phytates are natural chemicals found in foods like tea, coffee and whole grains, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. These substances inhibit nonheme iron absorption, so you may want to wait until later in the day to have a hot beverage and skip that piece of whole-wheat toast. Calcium from milk also lowers the amount of nonheme iron you absorb from a bowl of cereal. You'll be better off drinking a glass of orange juice to get more vitamin C, instead of pouring yourself a glass of milk. As long as you’re getting several servings of iron-rich foods throughout the day, you should still be able to meet your needs without worrying too much about foods that inhibit iron absorption.

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About the Author

Melodie Anne Coffman has been writing for various online and print publications since 1996, specializing in human and animal nutrition. After receiving her master's degree in food science and human nutrition, she opened up her own nutrition consulting business in the New England area.

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